Job Confidence Index highlights need for more careers advice in the South West
The first national Job Confidence Index, which reveals the state of the nation’s work and employment prospects based on a study by ICM of over 4,000 people in England, shows an overall job confidence score of 51.5 for the South West. On a national level, the data shows a score of 51.8 out of 100.
The Index, which is based on seven pillars ranging from job and personal experience, qualifications and opportunities, reveals that while job confidence is highest in London and the South East of England, the picture across the country is a relatively consistent one, with confidence lowest in the West Midlands.
According to the data, commissioned by the National Careers Service which recently celebrated its first anniversary, 13% of the South West became more job confident, or maintained the same confidence levels in their job and ability to find work over the last three months.
Backing up the South West confidence are figures that show 64% of employed people feel that it would take them less than six months to find a new job which they wanted if they were made redundant, with 46% feeling they would need less than three months.
Nationally, according to the research, the mood in the jobs market has improved due to a number of factors ranging from economic recovery (42%), possessing the right work experience (42%), having the right skills and qualifications (40%) to feeling more prepared (22%) and seeing friends and family find new jobs (11%).
Joe Billington, Director of the National Careers Service, said: “The Job Confidence Index shows that while job confidence is heading in the right direction, there is still a way to go in ensuring people are ready to find the right job - or the next stage in their career.
“The results reflect what we see on the ground and hear in our call centres, that while people are slowly becoming more confident, we see significant numbers of people who need support and encouragement to take the right steps to a new job.”
For those unemployed and looking for work, the Index reveals an army of people working hard to try and get back into the job market.
In the last three months, 83% of unemployed people have updated their CVs, more than half have visited a Jobcentre Plus (54%) and over a third have used free online career tools offered by the National Careers Service (38%).
But in addition to the 26% who feel their confidence in their job or ability to find work has decreased in the last six months, people looking for work are especially on the look-out for help. A quarter (24%) do not feel confident about updating their CV, half (52%) would like to meet employers and 18% need more careers and jobs advice.
Joe Billington added: “People at all stages of their working life need support, encouragement and inspiration that the right advice on the right steps to take at the right time can provide.
“This is the first Index of its kind so we’ll be benchmarking results in the next quarter.”
To help those in need of support, the National Careers Service Careers Roadshow launches next week. Run in partnership with Fish4Jobs, the jobs bus will visit 18 locations up and down the country, starting on the 15th August in Newcastle. In addition to careers and jobs advice workshops, employers and careers advisers will be on hand to provide hints, tips and advice to finding work.
Further information on the Careers Roadshow can be found at www.jobsbus.org.uk.
The National Careers Service is available to everyone aged 13 and over in England. It provides free impartial advice on all jobs and careers related matters.
To speak to a careers adviser free, seven days a week from 8am to 10pm, call 0800 100 900, or search online for the National Careers Service to speak to an adviser via webchat, find lots of useful advice and information, or benefit from a host of interactive career tools.
